Apparatus for clamping and stretching leather and other material



(No Model.)

J. M. KBENE.

APPARATUS FOR GLAM'PING' AND STRETGHING LEATHER AND OTHER MATERIAL.

No. 345,699. Patented July 20, 1886.

N. FEYERS. PMXv-Ulhcgnphur. Washington, 0.0.

UNITED STAT S PATENT Crrro e.

J AMES M. KEENE, OF VVAUREGAN, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR CLAMPING AND STRETCHING LEATHER AND OTHER MATERIAL.

SPECIPTCATI ON forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,699, dated July 20,1886.

Application filed January 22, 1886. Serial No. 189,363. (No model.)

To aZZwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that '1, James M. KEENE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vanregan, W'indham county, Connecticut, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Devices for Clamping and Stretching Leather on Cylinders, which improvements are fully set forth and described in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my newlyinvented device, and Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the center of said device.

My invention relates to that class of clamps nsedto stretch straps of leather, card-clothing or similar material around the periphery of rolls or cylinders of considerable size-as, for example, in the covering of cylinders of carding-machines, and also in the manufacture of leather-covered polishing-wheels.

My object is to produce a cheaply constructed device in which shall be combined a strong clamp to hold the end of a strap, powerful leverage to draw said strap tightly around the roll or wheel, and which shall also be so constructed that it will adapt itself to wheels of different diameters.

In the covering of carding-machine cylinders it is especially desirable that the socalled card-clothing be drawn tightly and smoothly around the cylinder, and also held in place until fastened. This is also true of that class of polishing-wheels in which a strip of leather or walrus-hide is stretched around and glued to the periphery of a wooden wheel.

Referring to the annexed drawings, the letter a represents a metallic bar having one end hinged within a lever-handle, 1), whose longer arm is formed as an operating-handle, and whose lower (shorter) arm is considerably flattened, as at c, and is provided in its end with a series of spurs or pins, d. Hinged in lever b, above the bar a,is a pawl, 6, whose free end is adapted to engage ratchet-teeth f, out on the upper side of bar a. In order to'obtain afiner adjustment I have hung on pawl e an auxiliary pawl, h, which in practice serves the same purpose as finer ratchet-teeth, the action of said auxiliary pawl occurring between the engagements of the principal pawl e.

f, as shown.

The letter i represents a cast-metal piece, one of whose ends is hinged to bar a, above described, the opposite end'being extended laterally and formed with an angular jaw, 70, which coacts with a movable jaw, m, to grasp and hold the end of a strap while in the act of stretching it, as I shall refer to hereinafter. The lower edge of jaw is formed with a ledge, at, extending the entire length of said aw.

The movable jaw in conforms in shape to the outer face of the fixed jaw, and is provided with a rod, 0, extending diagonally up through the piece 13, being held and operated by a thumb-nut,p, as will be understood by reference to the drawings.

On the outer face of piece iis an integral lug, s, which, when the jaws are assembled, extends through an opening, '6, in jaw on, form- .ing a dowel to keep said jaw m in position when not fastened by the thumb-nut.

My device is operated as follows: Jaws k m are opened until they will receive an end of the strap to be stretched, the other end having been already secured to the wooden roll or cylinder. Thumb-nutp is now turned home, thus causing said jawsto grasp said strap firmly. The spurs (l are then embedded in the periphery of the wooden cylinder, with the pawls thrown well inward on the ratchets It will now be obvious that if the handle of lever 21 is forced outward the jaws 70 in will follow the movement, drawing the strap tightly around the cylinder, in which position it is held by the pawls, which act automatically as the lever-handle is moved outward.

After properly securing the strap to the cylinder the pawls are thrown out of engagement and jaws k m are opened to release the end of the strap.

Vith the exception of the hingepins and rod 0, the several parts maybe made of cast metal, (preferably of malleable iron.)

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent- A device for stretching leather or similar flexible material on curved surfaces, consist ing of a body portion formed of two sections pivotally connected, as described, one section having on its outer end adjustable jaws capable of grasping and holding the material to gage aseries of ratchet-teeth in the body-secbe stretched, the outer end of the companion tion, all being SillTStfllltiilHY as herein set forth.

section being hinp'od b T a fulcrum-pin to a L r T T lever whose shorter 81 111 is provided with JAMES REELE 5 spurs, as described, the elements named being \Vitnesses:

combined with each other, and with a pawl FRANK H. ALLEN,

hinged in the said lever and adapted to en TYLER J. HOWARD. 

